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The aim of this topic is to discuss the problem and solutions of IFF in real life and applycations to our sim world. The problem of identity plays a major role in areal warfare and has so far been a bit underrepresented in flightsimulations. The most powerfull air-air missle is useless if you don't know if your target is a friend or a foe. During the Vietnam area BVR combat was therefore higly restricted and even today fighters can be forced to enter the WVR arena if the identity of a contact is uncertain. Being such an important factor in air-air combat, lets have a closer look at the subject of IFF. While we discuss the several methodes of IFF we will also discover that the subject has a close relation to AI in connection with flightsimulations. I don't know wich direction this thread will take or if there is even enough interest, but let me initiate the discussion with a list of the different methodes of IFF that I am aware of: -Visual ID This is the most basic form to determine the allegance of a bogey. If every electronical methode fails, you have to use your Mk1 Eyeball to tell plane type/markings of your contact. This raises the question if AIs in flightsims actualy have to ID their visual contacts or if they instantly know alliances. The player needs to be close enough to identifiy the type of plane and in a furball things tend to get confusing. The AI should suffer from the same limitations as the player. The need to visualy identify opens some very nice wingman tactics on intercept situations where one member plays the spotter while to other plays to shooter. Imagine to following situation: You are waiting on CAP stations when AWACS reports a inbound bogey and vectors you to intercept. AWACS tells you that it is unable to identifiy the bogey and that ROEs are to visualy identify. You order your wingman to execute the eyeball/shooter maneuver, where one member accelerates ahead, passes the bogey head on and IDs him, while the other stays behind to eventualy take out the bandit with a BVR shot ( the player decides the role he takes ). You see that the IFF problem can bring some exiting changes from the usual combat. -Visual ID trough telescope The next level of visual ID. Some fighters have telescopes installed to ID bogeys visual on longer range. Not used very much as far as I know. -IFF interogater To my basic knowlege, this is a device that sends out a encrypted signal out towards your contact that asks "who are you?". If the other plane is a friendly and has a compatible IFF transponder, it will read the encrypted signal and answer "i am a friendly". The problem with the system is, it can only differate between friendly and unknown. If the system receves an answer the contact is a friendly, if it dosn't get an answer the contact is unkown. It then could be either a hostile, neutral, a friendly with inoperative IFF transponder or just a unlucky airliner. So additional sources to ID ( per example intel ) would be necessary. -"Combat Tree" This is a some sort advanced, very nifty, top secret american IFF interogator. This system sends out the encrypted "asking signal" of your enemy, that triggers the hostile IFF transponder. So your target tells you "I am a Russian", beleving that it has been interogated by a other russian IFF system. The obvious problem with this system is of course, that you have to be in possession of the enemy secret IFF codes. The Iranians were extremly successfull with their Combat Tree equipped F-14 and F-4 in the first gulf war. The iraqi fighters of russian type were broadcasting plane type and even flight data without knowing that the Iranian fighters would receve this. Only the iraqi Mirage F-1EQ were unaffected, because Combat Tree could not interogate the french IFF system. Perhaps someone has a deeper insight into this very intersting piece of equippment. -"NCTR" Modern radar system can ID radar contacts by radar signature. The big limitation of this system is aspect angle ( I think high aspect ratio is needed ) and range. I think much of this technology is classified. -"AWACS" The most well known methode for passionated sim flyers. Ask AWACS who that bogey is. But how does AWACS knows the ID of the bogey ? I guess it is a combination of NCTR ( much stronger radar ), IFF and other methodes. Like monitoring enemy radio traffic or monitoring flight path ( takes off from a hostile airfield ). Still I guess that AWACS is not all knowing. Please feel free to make corrections and add to the list. This is just a first start for the discussion.

And now, an exclusive SwingKid interview with the new Eagle Dynamics Representative of Public Relations. Please put your hands together in a warm welcome for everybody's favourite PR man: Comical Ali!! SK: Welcome to our studio, Mr. Ali. CA: Thank you, thank you, it's good to be here. SK: Mr. Ali, can you tell us why UbiSoft's "Lock On Gold" includes ED's "Flaming Cliffs," when everybody has been claiming up until now that it wouldn't? CA: Let's get one thing absolutely clear: there are NO PROBLEMS with StarForce. SK: Um, okay.. that wasn't my question, but all right... Why is UbiSoft selling the Lock On Gold bundle including both Lock On v1.02 and v1.1, for less than the price of Flaming Cliffs alone at either ED or NaturalPoint? Isn't that bad for business? CA: We spent an extra month of development time looking into alternate copy protection schemes, to make sure that legitimate users will have UNLIMITED RE-INSTALLS of the product. I repeat: uninstalling and re-installing Flaming Cliffs will NOT use up one of your registrations. SK: All right fine, let's talk about copy protection then. Is it true that users who purchase v1.1 from UbiSoft won't actually be able to use it, unless they contact StarForce for technical support? CA: You will ONLY need to use up one of your registrations if you change AT LEAST 40% of your hardware. SK (puts down clipboard): You're not really listening to my questions, are you. CA: All these people complaining about copy protection are really just pirates wanting to steal a free copy. You don't know anything about the software industry. There are pirates everywhere! SK: Are there pirates in Baghdad? CA: There are NO pirates in Baghdad!!! I'm telling you, that's just... crazy, pirate propaganda. SK (picks up clipboard again): I see... Moving right along. Can you tell us why the Russian version of Flaming Cliffs was priced at $7, while the English-language version was $35? CA: Flaming Cliffs should be released at the end of this month. SK: What? You are aware, Flaming Cliffs has already been released? CA: Early next month at the latest. SK: ED is selling it on their website. NaturalPoint is selling it. Now even UbiSoft is selling it! CA: All the code is finished and beta testing has stopped. SK: I'm a beta tester! Shouldn't I know, before the general public, if "testing has stopped?" CA: All that needs to be done is print up the CDs, ship them out, you know, a few minor things to put together. That sort of thing usually takes about one day, maybe two at the most. SK: Well, that's all the time we have for today. Thank you Mr. Ali, it certainly is nice to have some official answers for a change. We look forward to hearing from you in the future, enjoy your new position at ED and please, send them our regards! CA: My pleasure SwingKid. Please, call on me anytime you have questions, I'll be glad to help. SK: Well there you have it folks, an exclusive peek behind the scenes at some of the people and decisions working hard at ED to bring you the best possible entertainment experience. Remember, you heard it here first! -SK "You'll get the dynamic campaign from me, before you get it from ED"

Да не держу я зла ни на кого. Просто обидно, что у темы нет будущего. Сегодня МиГ-31 облетал: Р-33 - вещь! 10 пусков-9 попаданий. Кстати, из всех моих знакомый, кто в ЛО гамится, никто про эту фишку не знал с human cockpit.

Это ЛАМПА-КНОПКА - Сигнализатор Опаных Режимов (СОРЦ) загорется на критических режимах полета или при отказе какой-либо системы или агрегата. Летчик обратив на нее внимание начинает определять отказ, если он не зациклен на Риту (Речевой Информатор), но лампа будет сигнализировать в любом случае. Выключается она простым нажатием на нее - это в жизни.

Lock On: Операция "Полярная Звезда" Часть 1 Это, конечно, так, но к сожалению, именно так наши и летали в Чечне и Афгане. :-(